


Hypothetically

by TurnUps



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Drunk flirting, Flirting, M/M, Two Parter, Underage Drinking, americans are weird, and civillian flirting, and implied sex, because secret identities, dick just wants to chat wally up, drunk, gay barbara gordon as well, heavy making out, i guess??, like those classic scenes of bruce and selina, not graphic but you know whats going to happen, with an awkward bruce wayne scene coming up next week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-09 02:52:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17398634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurnUps/pseuds/TurnUps
Summary: Usually, Dick Grayson dreaded the Wayne Charity Balls. Usually, it meant that he was skipping a mission. Swapping leaping across buildings and kicking criminals in the spleen for prosecco and small talk. It meant avoiding the dance floor and the gaggle of girls swooning over him as opposed to avoiding bullets and lasers.But this night was different. This night there had been a threat from The Light, which meant the whole team had been added to the guest list, in civilian disguise of course.And there's someone that Dick's just dying to flirt with.





	1. 1

Usually, Dick Grayson dreaded the Wayne Charity Balls. Usually, it meant that he was skipping a mission. Swapping leaping across buildings and kicking criminals in the spleen for prosecco and small talk. It meant avoiding the dance floor and the gaggle of girls swooning over him as opposed to avoiding bullets and lasers.

Things had gotten worse with his five-year break. He was rusty at playing the part of the billionaire's son and his tolerance for girls was even lower than before. When he was thirteen, it was enough to humour them with a dance and a wink and a kiss on the cheek.  It made them smile and giggle, and that had satisfied Dick. Now, they were expecting kisses and phone numbers at the least. Staying the night was a given.

Maybe if he were Bruce he could carry on playing along. But he wasn't Bruce and Dick was pretty sure he was gay.

He used the words pretty sure because he hadn't actually been with a guy yet. But he knew he couldn't dredge up any romantic feelings for a girl.

Guys on the other hand – they weren’t in short supply. There was someone in particular he had his eye on, but it was that age old problem of being head over heels for his best friend. His best friend who might not even be into guys.

Barbara was currently the only one who knew. He had told her when he'd returned, when they'd been lounging in a classroom at lunch, eating Salt and Vinegar crisps and drinking 'Monster.'

He hadn't been nervous until Barbara's eyes glazed over and she stared into space for so long that his heart began thudding. He had thought he was safe. He had thought that she would be fine with it. But maybe he had been wrong. Maybe this was the end of their friendship. Maybe he would lose his only friend in Gotham – the only person his age who that he was Nightwing and Dick Grayson.

But then she had whispered.

"Oh my God, we really do group together."

It had been Barbara's way of saying 'I'm gay too.'

Which worked out great, actually. Dick could dance with her at the Charity Balls and wouldn't have to kiss her.

But this night was different. This night there had been a threat from The Light, which meant the whole team had been added to the guest list, in civilian disguise of course. That, in turn, meant that when shit inevitably hit the fan, Dick could still get in on some of the action.

It was just a bonus that no one on the team knew his, or Barbara's, secret identity.

It meant he could wreak havoc, and he knew that was what was on Barbara's mind too.

He watched her now, over Ms Zillabar's shoulder as she smiled at Zatanna, her eyes sparkling under the heavy eyeliner.

Ms Zillabar asked him the unavoidable question - "so no girlfriend yet, Mr Grayson?"

"Not yet," Dick smiled. All his smiles were tight nowadays and the feeling had become normal.

He imagined turning around and saying the truth. It would be out to the press by the next morning. He could out himself to all of Gotham so easily.

And of course, Ms Zillabar would smile and say that he was 'too young to know about these things' and 'had he tried dating a girl?' as though Dick was just being lazy.

Her imagined reaction alone was enough to put him off the idea, let alone all of Gotham's.

There was a flash of ginger at the corner of his vision, and he pretended to hear Ms Zillarbar's husband calling for her.

She turned away just in time for Dick to lean back against one of the many drinks tables and resume the role of the bored host's son. Just in time for Wally West to glance at him as he poured himself a drink. Punch. Non-alcoholic.

Dick glanced across lazily, his flute of prosecco in one hand, but his heart was thudding.

"I haven't seen you at one of these before," he said. His voice sounded too smooth and casual considering the mess that was his insides.

"Oh, I'm, yeah," Wally tripped over his tongue as he looked anywhere but at Dick. "It's my first time."

God, he was bad at thinking on his feet. Dick let the amused smile creep over his face.

"Richard Grayson," he said, holding his hand out - thank his lucky stars it wasn't shaking. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or the sheer adrenaline of talking to his best friend without his best friend even knowing who he was.

"Oh, I'm Wally. Wally West," Wally' s grip was tight and Dick let his hand linger just a second more than was necessary. Wally didn't even seem to notice. "You're Bruce Wayne's son, right?"

"Right," Dick took a sip of champagne. It helped calm his nerves. "So, has the Evil Queen been keeping you locked away?"

"What?"

"It was a – poor joke. I just meant - this is your first time at a Wayne Charity event, right? Who's been keeping you away?"

"N-no one," Wally looked like he didn't know how to respond, and it only widened Dick's smirk. He had gotten so used to their easy banter that seeing Wally unbalanced and unsure was new. "My uncle, he has connections here - but he couldn't make it tonight, so I'm here instead."

"Your uncle?" Dick found himself resisting the urge to smile. There was something satisfying in having a conversation where he knew all of the answers. He finally understood how a cat felt with a ball of string.

"Oh, um, he's - Barry Allen."

"Oh? Cool."

Wally bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. He was always shuffling, but Dick knew that this time he was feeling the awkward lull in the conversation and was wondering whether it was okay to shuffle back into the crowd.

Dick wasn't about to let that happen.

"You're not missing out on much, actually," he said, maybe a little too quickly.

That caught Wally's attention. He raised an eyebrow, a disbelieving smile dragging the corner of his mouth upwards.

"No? Free caviar, champagne and a bunch of girls? Sounds awful."

"No caviar, actually - Wayne industries refuses to endorse food that comes fundamentally from making animals suffer."

"Oh," Wally's eyebrows shot upwards. The morals of Wayne industries surprised a lot of people. "Cool."

"And I'm not so wild about the girls either," Dick said, carefully.

Wally frowned for a moment, before he understood Dick's tone and his eyes widened with understanding.

" _Oh_ ," he said. "Oh."

Dick's smirk returned in full force.

" _Damn_ ," Wally was still in awe. "Does - I mean - does Bruce Wayne know?"

Dick wanted to grin and wink and say 'what Bruce doesn't know won't hurt him.' But he couldn't. Just thinking about it made his whole chest feel tight. It was unthinkable.

He lost his nerve and glanced away.

"Oh," Wally said again. He was aiming for the world record of how many times someone could say that in a minute. "Well, I mean, I'm - bi, and my Uncle Barry's fine with it, so - you could always stay with us."

A thrill went through Dick, even though he knew Wally was only joking.

So ,he fixed his charming smile back on and said "I don't know how I'd survive if I wasn't living in a mansion."

Wally barked a laugh like he was a golden retriever.

But Wally was bi. Dick, or Robin, or whoever he was, hadn't known that. There was a strangeness in Dick Grayson knowing something about Kid Flash that Robin didn't. He had to wonder how Wally could come out to a stranger at a party, and not to his best friend.

But then that was exactly what he had just done. Maybe the civilian masks were useful for something after all.

Wally leant back against the table, gingerly picking up a champagne flute. Dick turned to him, leaning his hip against the table and taking another sip and examining how Wally's face looked without the mask. He had a lot more freckles than Dick had realised. A whole galaxy of them.

"Not that I read trashy gossip magazines, but I thought you were with Barbara Gordon?"

It was Dick's turn to laugh.

"Does Barbara Gordon look like a straight girl to you?"

They both glanced over to where Barbara and Zatanna were talking to Artemis. Babara's hand was on Zatanna's arm as she spoke, standing just close enough than was normal.

Wally looked amazed.

"You two have this whole thing figured out, don't you?"

Dick just smirked in response. It felt like he was letting Wally in on something much more than his identity. This was his whole world - the world that Dick tried to hide as soon as he got into that suit. The world he hated, but seemed a little brighter now that Wally was here.

The music and lights began to dim, leaving the makeshift stage illuminated. Most people turned to it, attentive for the speeches that were about to happen.

Instead, Dick downed his drink, picked up two more and said to Wally, "this will bore you to tears. How about a tour of Wayne Manour instead?"

"Won't you get in trouble?" Wally asked, but his face was like a child's in a candy store.

"It's my house, isn't it?"

And with that, they left the ballroom and headed down the wide hallways of Wayne Manor. Wally was staring at the vases, paintings and extravagant light fittings in awe. It made Dick realise just how opulent his home was. He didn't think he'd ever grow into it.

They drunk more champagne and, thankfully, it went straight to Dick's head. He managed to accost a waiter heading up to the party and, with a charming smirk, managed to get the tray from him. Wally laughed and it made Dick’s chest buzz. It was different, like this, to actually make someone laugh. To have someone genuine and _be_ genuine with.

He was starting to get drunk. He was starting to get the courage to nudge his shoulder against Wally's, or to slip his hand under Wally's elbow to guide him the right way down that corridors.

"It’s - amazing," Wally said.

"You think?" Dick leant against the wall, resting the rim of his glass on his lip. He saw Wally's gaze flicker down and then away. "To me, it just seems big. Empty."

"You mean _Bruce Wayne_ isn't good company?" Wally asked. Dick loved him for it.

"Hypothetically," as long as he was wearing body armour and a mask.

They kept talking, sharing anecdotes back and forth between the two of them. Dick couldn’t remember the last time he had genuinely smiled at one of these events, and every one of Wally’s happy laughs only made him smile more.

"You know, I should," Wally made a vague gesture. “Get back, I guess.”

“You should,” Dick said, looking at Wally from over the top of his champagne glass.  He had lost count of how many he had. “I guess.”

Wally wasn’t moving. He was twisting his wrist so that his champagne swigged around the glass.

“Yeah,” he drew out the word, slowly. His eyes were on Dick’s face, tracing his cheekbones and his nose and finally fixing on his mouth. Those green eyes stayed staring at Dick’s mouth.

He twitched it up in a small smile. “I guess you haven’t seen _all_ of the mansion.”

“No?” Wally’s eyes flickered up to Dick’s dark eyes.

“No,” he downed the rest of the champagne, the bubbles going straight to his head. It was getting to the point where he started to feel like he was floating. He felt dizzy – he wondered if he was walking straight. He wondered if Wally noticed. He left his empty glass sat next to one of Wayne’s ornate vases. “Not yet.”

“Enlighten me,” Wally smiled, hesitating a moment before he placed the glass next to Dick’s.

He started down the corridor. Wally stumbled into him, turned bright red and started to apologise. Dick just laughed – everything seemed funny now – he wrapped an arm around Wally’s back to steady them. A thrill went through him when Wally’s arm settled around his shoulders. His face was tingling.

Dick chose the first cupboard door that he found. They could heart the buzz of the far-off party, but it only stoked the adrenaline in Dick’s chest.

“Yeah,” he said, his hand on the door handle. “I think we missed this one.”

He stepped inside, holding the door open for Wally and kicking a few brooms out of the way.

Wally stepped inside, glancing back at the party. His chest nudged Dick’s as he pulled the door closed. It was pitch black. Dick could only see the shine of teeth and eyes.

“This, Mr Grayson, is a broom cupboard,” Wally whispered.

“A broom cupboard that you haven’t seen,” Dick said. The champagne was still bubbling around in his brain. It made him brave enough to put his hands on Wally’s shoulders. “A broom cupboard that no one goes into.”

“It’s pretty close to the party,” Wally said. His hands hovered over Dick’s waist. It was almost like dancing.

Well, that was so that if they got attacked, they would hear it. It would give them some warning. But it also gave Dick that rush of adrenaline. They could be found easily here. It would mean a lot of consequences, but he was finding it harder and harder to bring himself to care about them.

“Does that bother you?” Dick pressed himself closer.

“It should,” Wally said, his breath was catching. “Maybe I’ve had a glass too many.”

“I like you with a glass too many.”

“I said I wouldn’t drink tonight.”

“You wouldn’t have got through it if you hadn’t. Wayne charity balls can be extremely whelming.”

Wally froze. Dick couldn’t feel his breath on his cheeks. He realised what he said. His heart stopped. In the dark, like this, it would be obvious. Up until now, he had been lucky that Wally hadn’t recognised his voice.

“Say that again?” Wally whispered.

“What?”

“You just – for a moment – it was like-“

It was either reveal his secret identity or kiss Wally West. Both were terrifying, but one slightly less than the other. One, the alcohol in him was telling him to _go_ for. That was what he wanted to do. That was why he had got this drunk.

So there was really only one option,

His hands found Wally’s collar and he curled his fingers around it, smashing his lips into Wally’s.

He paused for a moment, his brain clearly in a state of shock, before his mouth started moving against Dick’s hungrily. Wally’s hands tightened on Dick’s waist, pressing him closer.

Wally was pressed against the wall and Dick was pressed against Wally, his lips tingling. His face felt numb, tingling like it was stung every time Wally touched him. He buried a hand in Wally’s hair, his other hand cupping Wally’s cheek to angle himself. There was only his mouth and Wally’s mouth and the warmth pumping through him in waves.

Dick pulled away slightly, enough so that he could breathe, his breath feeling hot and heavy. He couldn’t stand straight – Wally was the only thing keeping him up. He trailed his mouth down to the corner of Wally’s jaw, peppering the side of his neck with kisses.

Wally’s hands fumbled with his tie, pulling it in a knot away from his collar. Dick undid the top button for him, still attacking his neck with his mouth. He bit down, feeling his pulse between his teeth.

“Robin,” Wally whispered, his hands gripping Dick’s back so hard that it hurt. The name brought him back to reality. He paused, pulled away, panting. “Sorry, it’s Nightwing now – isn’t it?”

He stayed silent. He didn’t have the heart to explain. He didn’t have the heart to ruin the moment.. His heart was pounding in his chest – in his forehead – everywhere.

Wally was kissing him again, his teeth clacking against Dick’s. He let him, feeling as though he was melting. He felt his hands beginning to shake and grabbed Wally’s shirt in his fists.

He lost track of time, he lost his tie at some point, his collar pulled down so that Wally could run his tongue along his collarbone and Dick could taste Wally’s ear. It felt like a mad flurry of mouths – mouths everywhere, desperate to make the most of this moment. These long moments of hot breath and hot skin and everything was hot. It didn’t matter that Wally thought he was Robin. It didn’t matter that he was.

Voices came back to them, sounding as though they were coming from a long tube. They sounded fractured, like they were stuck at the bottom of the kaleidoscope.

“Wally! Where have you disappeared to?”

That was Artemis. Her voice made Wally froze, his hands cupping Dick’s face. There was music too, fainter than the voices. The ball was ending.

“Oh, fuck,” Wally whispered.

“Shh,” Dick wasn’t thinking, he was pressing his hand against Wally’s mouth, listening hard to the footsteps outside the door. This should sober him, he thought. It wasn’t. He still felt fuzzy and he couldn’t separate the moments.

“Wally! We’re going home!”

Zatanna. Wally pressed a hand to Dick’s and for the first time, he wished that he could see him. That he could read his face and figure out what was going on.

“I’m sure he’s just gone to the loo, or something,” Barbara. “He’ll turn up, tomorrow morning.”

“ _Morning_? We can’t just let leave him. He’s not a cat.” Artemis’ voice rose in pitch. Dick felt Wally snickering against his hand and ‘sshh’ed him again, feeling himself dissolve into a fit of giggles. He pressed himself closer and was relieved when the arm around him tightened.

“Sure, I leave Dick places all the time.”

“But that’s Dick Grayson. He’s probably chasing after girls or something.”

“And Wally’s not?” Zatanna asked.

Dick pressed his forehead against Dick’s as they both struggled to contain their laughter. Wally was shaking with the effort of keeping silent.

“Trust me,” Barbara’s voice was quieter now. Now it was a storm of chatter from regular party-goers. “They’ll both show up safe and sound.”

Oh, she knew. She knew completely and utterly what was happening.

Dick stayed there, pressed against Wally in the dark as they listened to everyone pass them. He relaxed his hand, feeling Wally’s breath on his palm. His chest rose and fell against Wally’s.

Eventually, it was dead quiet again. There was a final pair of footsteps, soft muffled steps that Dick recognised at Bruce Wayne’s. He held his breath, his heart pounding in his temples.

The steps paused. Then passed, even slower.

Dick breathed out, slowly, feeling all of his muscles relax individually.

“Fuck,” Wally breathed again. “I – sorry, I thought – Christ, I called you Robin, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Dick said. Neither of them had moved, and he took that as a good sign. Wally was not completely repulsed by him.

“I’m so sorry,” Wally repeated.

“It’s fine. It’s not –“ Dick bit his lip. He had already taken so many risks, he might as well take one more. In for a penny, in for a pound. “He’s your superhero crush?”

“What? No – he’s-“ Wally stopped himself.

“Wally West, I just had my tongue in your mouth five minutes ago, don’t lie to me.”

Wally swallowed and Dick swore he could feel the heat coming from his cheeks. “Yeah, we work together - would it really impress you if I told you I was Kid Flash?”

“I’m sure that’s what you say to all the girls,” Dick said.

“Not – really,” Wally sighed. “I’ve been hanging back a bit. I – had a thing for Artemis for a while, but I – I really like – I can’t get that boy out of my head. Apparently, I’m obsessed enough with him that I’ll think any stranger is him.”

“We’re hardly strangers now.” Dick said, a little defensively. He was still leaning against Wally like a lazy cat.

“I met you tonight.”

There it was. He didn’t know what he had been expecting – this was exactly what would happen – why would he think anything else would? Wally would see this as a fling – a one time make-out at a boring party. It was incredible that he party had gone off without a hitch. Dick had been expecting them to pause and scramble into super suits before going into battle, lips still swollen from their closet rendezvous. Wally probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought – the son of a billionaire playboy making eyes at him and him being drunk enough to go along with it.

But then he had whispered ‘Robin,’ and it was like it had all fallen into place of its own accord. It was like he _knew_.

Dick wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him the truth so badly. It was on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be realised into the air. It would clear everything up. It might even put Wally’s mouth back against his own.

Batman had trained him to lie too well. 

“Yeah, you did,” he finally stepped away from Wally. It was like admitting defeat. “Can I at least offer you a nightcap?”

Wally had edged the cupboard door open and a sliver of yellow light appeared down the side of his face. He looked oddly melancholic.

“Sure,” he said, and stepped out of the cupboard.

Dick followed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “You know, Robin would be lucky.”

“Oh yeah?”

Dick just smiled. He led Wally to the smaller kitchen upstairs. The one with the cocktail bar and the alcohol gleaming like jars in a sweetshop behind it. It was minimalist – all black and white. A leather sofa sat opposite wooden blinds that came together to make a pattern of bamboo leaves. They were open, the moon shining through them.

Wally slid onto one of the stools, leaning his elbows on the table, his tie around his neck like an animal pelt.

“Pick your poison,” Dick said, running his fingers along the bottles as he stepped behind the bar.

“Rum,” Wally said, automatically. “Rum and coke – please.”

Dick obeyed. He poured the same for himself, resting it on the bar between them. He’d had enough, his body was screaming at him to stop. He was going to regret this in the morning. He didn’t care.

He shouldn’t be mixing like this.

He didn’t care.

“Hypothetically,” he said slowly, taking a sip and rolling it around his mouth. He could barely taste it. “What if, hypothetically – hypothetically, I was Robin?”

Wally took a long drink. He raised an eyebrow at Dick, self-consciously fiddling with his collar.

“You could be, I guess,” he said. His eyes were unfocused and Dick knew that he was too drunk to be thinking seriously. He was safe, in a way. “He’s very private about his identity. Batman’s rules, or somethin’.”

“In Gotham, you have to be,” Dick shrugged.

“Gotham seems like a rough place to grow up,” Wally downed the rest of the drink. It was like he was drinking to forget.

That was fine, Dick supposed. They would have that twenty minutes in the cupboard. He would have delved into that fantasy and it would be enough. It would give him the strength to leave Wally alone. If there was anything definite he had learnt from being with Batman, it was to not get too close to anyone else. It was difficult enough seeing Bruce get hurt, or Barbara – they were family, but if he saw someone he _loved_ -

He took a large sip.

“It is, yeah,” he said. “Unless you’re privileged, it’s a nightmare. There’s always that underlying fear of getting mugged. Like, yeah, it’s a joke half the time, but you really are pushing it when you’re out late. Almost everyone’s connected to someone who’s been killed in a gang war. It’s all this confusing web of they killed them so we hate them, but we’re in a truce because they saved them.”

“Lucky to be privileged,” Wally helped himself to the rum Dick had left on the side.

“You’re only privileged in Gotham if your parents are part of the mob. If you’re a Falcone or whatever,” Dick said. Wally poured a drink for him too and he let him. “And I’m – not. Didn’t used to be anyway. I used to be a circus kid.”

“Really?” Wally swished the drink around in his glass, looking at Dick from over the top of it. His eyes seemed greener than ever.

“Yeah – age old story, right? My parents got murdered. Bruce picked me out of everyone else in the orphanage. That’s the reason I’m privileged. Chance.”

He was giving away too many clues, he knew, but the rum made his tongue feel loose.

“Damn,” Wally murmured.

“And, of course, I could be kidnapped and held for ransom at any time,” Dick shrugged. It made Wally laugh, but then he frowned.

“You know, that story – the one about the circus - sounds familiar.”

“It’s a Gotham classic.” Dick said. It wasn’t convincing. “What about you?”

“Me and my uncle?” Wally took another long swig. “My dad – he’s alive, so I guess there’s that. When he drunk – he got angry. He drunk a lot.”

“I’m sorry,” Dick said. He hadn’t really known before. Wally hadn’t told Robin, but he’d told Dick Grayson. There was something in that. There was something unsettling that his best friend told him more when he didn’t know it was him. It made him feel guilty, that he was manipulating Wally like this. Not really manipulating, but he was definitely using this as a chance to pry.

“It’s fine,” Wally shrugged. “I prefer living with Uncle Barry. Do you prefer living with Bruce Wayne?”

Dick shrugged. “It has its ups and downs.”

Wally paused. He finished his second drink, resting his head on his hand as he looked at Dick. He took a long, shaky breath.

“Dick – are we ever going to see each other again? After tonight?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hypothetically – say that we won’t,” Wally bit his lip, staring at Dick’s eyes with such an intensity that Dick had to look away. “Can I ask for something slightly ridiculous and slightly weird?”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re into something freaky, are you?” Dick said. “You’re not gunna ask to suck my toes or something?”

“Fuck, no.” And they were both laughing for a moment. Just a moment, before Wally tapped his finger against the bar. “Can I just – pretend you’re Robin? Just for tonight? Maybe it’ll just help me get him out of my head.”

Dick didn’t want to get out of Wally’s head. But the idea was good. The idea meant that he could kiss Wally again. The rum and the champagne made him feel like it was a great idea. It was a perfect ideas.

Because he could kiss Wally again.

“Sure,” he said.

“Great-“ Wally was suddenly grabbing his tie, suddenly pulling him across the bar and pressing their mouths together. He tasted of alcohol – more than before, and his lips moved clumsily. They missed more times than they kissed, tongues slipping in and out and teeth clashing against each other.

Dick needed to get over the bar. He needed to get hold of Wally. But he couldn’t break the kiss.

He hiked his leg up onto the bar, sliding his body across. His knee hit a glass and he heard it shatter on the ground, but couldn’t bring himself to care, because Wally had hold of his waist and he was settling on Wally’s lap. He twined their legs together, his hands on Wally’s shoulders and his mouth against Wally’s cheek. He was making tiny, moaning noises in the back of his throat, he knew, but it was making Wally’s fingers dig into his waist. It was making Wally pull away from his mouth and press his teeth against Dick’s neck.

Dick lost his breath, revelling in Wally’s love bites. The feeling of Wally against the soft skin of his shoulder.

He was losing more buttons from his shirt, he knew. He didn’t care. It was hot in here, and he wanted to feel Wally’s skin against his own.

Wally peeled his own shirt off and Dick found his hands fascinated by his body. The biceps seemed larger to him – his abs seemed _smoother_ and more solid and why hadn’t Dick known about the thin hairs trailing up from Wally’s belly button? He was so solid and _there._ There was a light sheen of sweat against him and Dick pressed his mouth against Wally’s shoulder.

“We have to move,” Wally murmured.

“Sofa,” Dick murmured back.

Wally stood, lifting Dick effortlessly. He kicked the glass away from them. Dick wrapped his legs around Wally’s back, burying his hands in that ginger hair and hearing his own breath in his ears. He half-fell onto the sofa – dropped by a clumsy Wally. Everything felt clumsy. His hands and mouth didn’t seem to do what he wanted.

Dick tangled his fingers over in Wally’s hair as Wally’s mouth trailed down his chest. He shuddered, feeling him move across him like he was exploring him. Like this was all new  – Wally’s tongue just peeking out of his lips.

He paused, resting on his elbows to catch Wally’s mouth in his again, and Wally fell back onto the sofa against him, his hands on Dick’s wrists. They tightened as Dick kissed Wally’s jaw, his legs cradling him.

Wally sighed against him, pressing an open mouth against Dick’s cheek. Dick let his fingers trail down Wally’s bare chest, feeling him quiver at the touch.

“Shit,” Wally whispered. His mouth seemed to be everywhere and Dick loved the feeling of it. Wally was tugging at his belt, his fingers fumbling over it.

Dick’s hands went to his own. He was panting, he felt his breath in every part of his body.

Hypothetically, this would be their only chance.

Tomorrow, he would be Dick Grayson to Wally West again. It would all be back to normal and the dream would end.

So might as well make the most of tonight.


	2. 2

2

Dick’s head was pounding. It felt like there was a spaceship in his head, humming and buzzing away against his skull.

He cracked open his eyes and groaned at the bright light in the room.

Then froze when he heard an answering groan.

Last night hit him like a brick to the back of his head. His eyes snapped open, protesting against the daylight, but he had to check –

Wally’s arm was draped across him. Wally’s head was on his chest. His bare chest.

A naked Wally West was sleeping, basically on top of him, on the leather sofa. Someone had tossed a blanket over them to cover their modesty. That wasn’t good. That meant that someone knew.

Dick pressed the palm of his hand into his eyes, closing them and taking a deep breath. Shit. He hadn’t meant any of this to go this far.

There was a knock at the door. Sharp and precise. He knew that knock and he knew that whatever he said, they would come in anyway.

Double shit. Double shit with chocolate sprinkles on top. Chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream and a cherry.

He pushed his hair from his forehead and wiggled out from under Wally. Just enough so that he could rest on his elbows and see over the top of the sofa. Wally’s arm still hung across him like he was a teddy bear. He still felt dizzy – unbelievably dizzy and clumsy. It was like his head was separated from the rest of his body, floating away on a string.

Bruce Wayne sat at the bar, fully dressed in a suit, his stool spun around so that he met Dick’s eyes with an impassive stare. He had thought he was getting better at reading his facial expressions. Now he realised Bruce was had just been going easy on him. He couldn’t begin to guess what was going through his head.

It was too bright. His head was pounding like he’d been hit with a sledgehammer.

But Bruce Wayne was sat right there. He swallowed, but his mouth remained dry.

“Bruce,” he said.

“Alfred found a broken glass this morning,” Bruce said. He had a glass set out next to him, and poured gin into it, his dark eyes not moving from Dick’s.

“Sorry. Drunk.”

“He said you had company. I thought I’d check in on you.”

Dick groaned, pushing his hand back against his face.

“Did you have to?” he sounded awful.

“I think we need to talk, Dick.”

“He’s still asleep,” Dick mumbled.

“I can be quiet if you don’t want to leave him,” the pronoun fell from Bruce’s tongue as though it was the simplest thing in the world.

“I made a mistake.”

Bruce paused then, just enough for Dick to try to swallow and fail. “You don’t think you’re-“

No – he wasn’t listening to Bruce Wayne say that word.

“That wasn’t the mistake part,” Dick said quickly. Maybe a little loudly. Wally stirred and mumbled something. “It wasn’t – it’s Wally, Bruce. Wally West.”

“Oh.”

He peered through his fingers just in time to see Bruce’s mouth quirked upwards slightly. He covered his face again and frowned against his fingertips.

“Hair of the dog?” Bruce said.

Just the smell of the gin in the air made Dick’s stomach turn.

“I’ll pass,” he groaned.

“So what happened, Dick?” Bruce asked. Dick shook his head vigorously and groaned at the effort. “Talk to me, Richard.”

He only called Dick ‘Richard’ when he meant it. It usually scared him, or guilted him into talking. Now he was concentrating on not being sick too much to be intimidated.

“Not now.”

“Yes, now. Whilst you’re not going anywhere.”

Dick sighed. He felt Wally sigh against him in his sleep.

“I just wanted to flirt – just a little bit, since he didn’t know,” he said. It hurt to talk. His lips were swollen and he could still taste the alcohol in his mouth. “It was just a little tease – but then, I don’t know – I started drinking and he started drinking-“

“Neither of you should have been drinking. It was a mission.”

“I saw _you_ drinking,” Dick said.

“I didn’t wake up with someone else in my bed.”

“That’s a first,” Dick muttered.

“I heard that,” there was a long pause. Bruce’s voice was soft when he spoke again. “You could have told me, you know.”

“No, I couldn’t. Like – I could have, I guess. It’s not that simple, okay? It’s not that simple to go up to you and have this conversation. I don’t – where would I even start? How would I even have the courage to start?”

“Am I not approachable?”

“No – I don’t – you are, I guess. I – what if you had to come out to Alfred? Do you think it’d be easy?” Dick finally pulled his hand away from his face. It landed against Wally’s arm and his stomach stirred all over again.

“No,” Bruce’s glass was at his mouth. “But I wouldn’t want it to be hard for you, Dick.”

“It just is – that’s just how it is,” Dick’s gaze dropped to Wally’s face. He hadn’t noticed that Wally’s eyelashes were pale too, hardly casting shadows on his cheeks. His mouth was swollen, slightly parted as he slept. “Okay,” he took a breath and met Bruce’s gaze. This wasn’t how he imagined coming out, but he guessed it was as good a time as any. “I have something to tell you, Bruce.”

“What is it?”

“I’m gay.”

“Thank you for telling me. I will always love and support you no matter what,” Bruce said. Dick was surprised at the relief he felt flowing through him. He had always known it would be okay – but he still felt so _relieved_ that it was. Even if sarcasm was creeping into both of their voices – how else would Dick Grayson come out to Bruce Wayne?  “Were you safe?”

“Bruce – oh my God,” Dick buried his face in his hands again.

“It’s a question any parent would ask. Did you use protection?”

Dick stayed silent. His heart hammered against his ribs. He didn’t want to say it. He really didn’t want to have to say it – not to Bruce.

“One in my back pocket.”

“Good boy,” Bruce was smirking, he knew he was. It was his tip. He was the one who always said it to Dick. And, shit, it had worked.

“Bruce – he,” Dick swallowed. “He doesn’t know.”

“It’s safer that way.”

“You don’t understand. That was why he – he called me Robin,” Dick looked up at Bruce. His mouth was set in a firm line. He was quiet, studying Dick.

“What do you want to do?”

“You’d let me tell him?”

“If it would make the two of you happy,” Bruce put his glass back down on the side. “But it may be too late.”

“I know,” Dick twisted his hands on the blanket. He couldn’t imagine telling Wally now – not after keeping it for a secret for so long and not after last night. Not when Wally guessed – when Wally knew and Dick didn’t tell him.

He’d probably ruined it. Last night really would be their only chance. He couldn’t imagine Wally ever trusting him again if he told him now.

Bruce ruffled his hair, leaving it in a spiky mess.

“You’ll figure it out,” Bruce muttered, leaving the room. He shut the door with a definite click. That was that he supposed. It had been too heavy a conversation at whatever time it was in the morning. And Dick’s head was still spinning like a top, so he sighed and slipped back under the blanket. He turned into Wally’s arm, nudging his head under Wally’s chin and closing his eyes again. He wasn’t sleeping. His head was pounding like there was a goblin inside it desperate to come out, but he didn’t want to fall asleep again. He wanted to pretend that he’d been asleep all this time and not think about whether or not to tell Wally the truth.

Wally groaned against Dick’s forehead, his arms tightening around Dick. He could pinpoint the moment the other boy woke, because his breath hitched and he whispered, “fuck.”

Dick had been planning to pretend he was asleep. He had resolved to either let Wally wake him up, or let Wally slip out on his own, but the resolve broke almost instantly.

 “Yeah, that’s about where I am too,” he whispered.

Wally let out another small groan. “How long have you been awake?”

Dick sighed against Wally’s shoulder. “Long enough to have to come out to Bruce.”

“ _Fuck_!” Wally’s fingers curled on Dick’s back and he opened his eyes to see the look of absolute horror on Wally’s face. He felt his lips quirk upwards in a smile. “ _Bruce Wayne_ knows that we – oh _God_ – I’m in Bruce Wayne’s mansion with Dick Grayson and Dick Grayson is naked.”

“You’re naked too, you know,” Dick murmured, pushing his leg inbetween Wally’s.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Wally was pulling away slightly, his hands retracting to Dick’s shoulders as he stared at him. “Was he – okay with-?”

“I think,” Dick said. “It’s hard to tell. He didn’t care that you-“ Dick paused, enjoying the cringe that passed across Wally’s face. “Stayed the night. He seemed – okay, yeah.”

“I can’t believe I’m naked on Bruce Wayne’s couch,” Wally muttered.

Dick shrugged. He was still tired, his head was still pounding – he buried himself into Wally’s shoulder.

But Wally didn’t move.

“Wally?” Dick whispered.

“I think I should – go,” Wally still sounded horrified, he sat up, letting Dick’s arms fall like dead weight onto the sofa.

“Was it really that bad?” Dick asked, propping himself back up on his elbows.

Wally looked back at him – a very naked Wally, with all of those abs glistening in the sunlight. His eyes, looking almost fluorescent, scanned down Dick’s body very quickly, then away.

“It wasn’t that – it’s not you,” Wally was wiggling into boxers and trousers. “It’s – this isn’t me. I don’t do this. Not – this. And I don’t think – I think it would be best if I go now.”

“Alfred’s probably going to make pancakes for breakfast,” Dick muttered. He covered his face with his arm so that Wally couldn’t read his expression. So that Wally couldn’t see the disappointment in his face. “Pancakes with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries – bacon, probably even chocolate ice cream.”

There was a pause. Dick had known there would be.

“Did you say chocolate ice cream?”

“Mmm,” Dick chanced a peek under his arm. Wally was still topless, staring at Dick. His mouth quirked into a smile.

“How did you know that’s my favourite pancake topping?”

“Is it? That’s weird,” Dick mostly faked a yawn and stretched. “Of course, you were going, so-”

“The team’s probably worried about me,” Wally was murmuring. He sat back on the sofa, by Dick’s feet. “Hell, Uncle Barry’s probably worried about me. And Robin – Nightwing – what do I tell him? That I pretended – no, it’s cringy to say out loud sober.”

“You’re overthinking it,” Dick said, because hearing his superhero names had made his stomach lurch more than the smell of gin did. “Stay for breakfast, don’t tell Robin – tell everyone that you met a friend from school and ended up going back to his hotel room and chatting most of the night.”

“Did you come up with that just now?” Wally raised an eyebrow at Dick. He smiled and shrugged, the smile dropping when Wally sighed. “I can’t just _not_ tell him. We tell each other everything.”

Everything excluding that you’re bi, Dick thought. Everything excluding your past. Everything excluding my past. Everything excluding my name.

“He might take it as a compliment.”

“You think?”

Dick just shrugged again, swinging his legs off the couch. It was then he noticed that his was sore. The throbbing that had been background noise was suddenly there and wince inducing.

Wally caught the wince – because of course he did.

“Shit – are you okay? Oh God, this is-“

“I’m fine,” Dick kept the blanket over his lap as he kicked his clothes up. He wasn’t looking at Wally, it had suddenly got a lot harder to meet his eyes.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Dick wiggled into his clothes. He fully intended to hide from the world until the ache had died down. That was the last thing he needed anyone seeing.

He paused, his shirt still unbuttoned, when he noticed that Wally was still sat at the end of the couch, his face still buried in his fingers. It made him feel a little better about his own reaction not half an hour ago.

Dick sat and gathered his confidence. He felt like his mouth was shaking. Then he took Wally’s wrists, pulling them away from his cheeks.

“Hey,” he muttered. “I told you not to worry.”

“Is this normal for you?” the words were rushing out of Wally and this time he didn’t pick up the wince. “I mean, how many times have you-“

“I don’t do this. Not a lot. Not ever.”

“So what about me…” Wally trailed off, his eyes searching Dick’s. Dick found himself frozen under that stare. Something was going on. Wally was figuring something out. He knew it in his gut and a large part of him _wanted_ Wally to figure it out. “It’s so weird - I remember you sounding just like…”

He trailed off again, and this time he was frowning. It was the frown that spurred Dick into action, made him link his fingers with Wally’s and pull him from the sofa. “Come on, let’s get breakfast.”

*

Dick hoped he was walking normally by the time he headed back to Mount Justice. It was the evening – he hoped he was over it by now. The buzz of voices was still too much for his cotton-wool head and he found himself pouring a large coffee automatically.

“-So weird – we didn’t see you at all!” Zatanna was saying.

He just smiled and shrugged, and let Jason say “well, we _were_ trained by Batman.”

Kid Flash was at Dick’s side in the next second, his hood pushed down from his face so that the mask hung like a decapitated head from his neck.

“Pour me a cup of that, Rob – Nightwing?” He wasn’t meeting Dick’s eyes.

“Speaking of people we didn’t see all evening,” Artemis was smiling, sat on the edge of the kitchen table with her legs resting on the back of Zatanna’s chair.

“Yeah, Wally – what happened to you?”

“They tried to make us all stay behind and look for you.” Connor muttered. He was leaning against the doorway, his eyes half closed. Dick wondered if it was his first hangover.

“Oh, I was just – there was a friend I used to go to middle school with,” Wally was saying. He took the mug from Dick without looking. “I bumped into him and we got talking and next thing you know, it’s three o’clock and we’re still sat in his hotel room laughing it up.”

“What was his name?” he didn’t know why he asked. Maybe it was in an effort to cover his tracks, maybe he wanted to see how thought out Wally’s story was.

No, he wanted to see if Wally would admit it. There was a small part of him that wanted Wally to turn around and com clean.

“Hm?” his hair was a ruffled mess, like a bright orange bird’s nest on his head.

“Your friend,” Dick said. “What’s his name?”

“Fred-die,” Wally said slowly. “Merc – Mercury-“ there was a beat. “-Is what we used to call him, when we were at school, because he – sung. He sung songs. A lot.”

There was a long silence in the room. Dick could tell that no one quite believed Wally, but no one quite had the heart to push him.

“Are you sure his name wasn’t Richard?”

Jason sipped from his coffee – who even let that kid drink coffee? Had Dick drunk coffee that young? – and smirked slightly. His dark eyes flickered up to meet Wally’s. No doubt he was remembering them shuffling past him into the dining room, heavy eyed and miserable. He had been smirking at Dick all day, at one point sweetly asking if he was ever going to come out to his little brother. Dick had flipped him off.

There was an awkward silence in the kitchen. Wally was staring at Jason like he’d just taken the cat outside and shot it in the head. Dick was glaring at him, but Jason didn’t seem to care. He had learnt to hold his poker face very quickly in Wayne Manor.

“Robin, I think you stayed up a little too late last night,” Dick said, fixing his own sweet smile on his face.

“Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing.”

“Maybe you should catch up on your sleep?” there was an edge in his voice now. The ‘I’m older than you, so you better listen to me’ edge. It made Jason pause and it knocked the smirk from his face.

“You’re not Batman,” he muttered, but he took his coffee cup up and slinked out of the room.

Artemis was the one who was picking up on the tension. Her eyes had been flickering between Jason to Dick to Wally like she was watching a three-way tennis match. They were narrowed and Dick had a feeling that she had a hunch at what the situation was.

“Nightwing has a good point,” she said, coolly. “I’m going to head home.”

She gave Zatanna a meaningful glance. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, further proving Dick’s hypothesis that girls had a psychic connection to each other.

“Same,” Zatanna stood, a small smile on her face. “We’ll see you boys later,” she paused at the doorway, then nudged Connor’s arm and said meaningfully. “Let’s get something to help with your head.”

And just like that, as though it had been planned out completely, Wally and Dick were alone in the kitchen at Mount Justice. There was a long, awkward silence where they avoided each other’s eyes. Wally didn’t seem to make a move. He didn’t seem about to come clean about it.

“Maybe I should check on Jason,” Dick said, taking a large gulp of coffee.

“Wait,” Wally sighed, lowering his mug from his mouth so that he was cradling it in his hands. He still wasn’t looking at Dick. “Look, there was – I _did_ spent the night with someone called Richard.”

“Wally-“ his stomach was suddenly turning. He wasn’t sure if he wanted this. He did, but he didn’t. It was just like coming out – it was the fear of the unknown that was making him feel sick.

“I was with Dick Grayson,” the words were falling out of Wally’s mouth so quickly that they threatened to merge into each other. “I swear, I didn’t mean to – it was just, we were just talking and then suddenly we were-“

“Why are you talking like you were cheating on me?” Dick’s voice sounded way too soft – way too calm when his heart felt like a rollercoaster track. He couldn’t even tell why he asked – he knew all the answers. It suddenly didn’t seem such a liberating thing. Suddenly he wished this was the first time he had learnt about it.

“Because…” Wally frowned at the floor. His mouth made movements as though it had the words to explain, but no sound came out.

He could just laugh it off and walk away. But his stomach had leapt and dived so sickeningly whenever he thought of facing Wally all day. It was swooping up and down like an eagle now, just standing next to him, not saying anything. He wouldn’t be able to keep going on like this. Wally would probably hate him when he came clean, but it was better than feeling like he was being eaten from the inside out. If everything was on the table, then at least they could try and sort out the mess.

“Look, KF, I – I knew about it,” Dick said, he felt Wally’s eyes on his face but kept staring into his coffee. He had been holding it for so long that the milk had started to separate, floating on the surface like limescale. “God, how do I say this without sounding like a complete asshole?” he took another breath, feeling the air press against every one of his ribs. Wally didn’t give him an answer – how could he? He had started this now – it was better to just take a dive. A dive was what started all of this. “I knew about it – because, I was there.”

Wally was silent. The silence rang like a warning bell in Dick’s ears. Finally, after what seemed like an age of listening to non-existent ringing, Wally spoke, slowly. “I am very hungover. You’re going to have to explain.”

“Do you really think there’s another person on this planet that says ‘whelmed?’” Dick asked. He chanced a glance upwards, just in time to see Wally’s eyes widen and his chest stop moving. Wally was staring at him like he was a stranger. Like he’d just been slapped in the face. It drove Dick on – to what he really needed to say. “You never told me about your dad.”

Wally was quiet. Then he leant against the fridge, his elbow just knocking against Dick’s.

“You never told me about your parents,” he said, his voice low, like it hurt to speak.

“You never said you were bi-“

“You never said you were gay!” Wally pushed off of the fridge, coffee spilling from his mug in a wave. He stared at Dick for a moment, his eyes alight, then slammed his fist against the side of the fridge. The sound should have made Dick jump, but he barely even blinked. He felt like he was stuck in a nightmare – frozen in place and unable to say anything. “Fuck, you never even told me your first name! What – now – now because you’ve fucked me you’re allowed to tell me? Is that Batman’s rule? You can’t tell your best friend, but a one night stand-“

“I never meant for you to be a one night stand!” there was his voice. The button that Wally had to press, because none of the others got to him anymore. There was a sore ball sitting in his throat. He swallowed it down, trying to force his breathing back to normal. “Christ, Wally, I just wanted to flirt with you a bit because I was out of costume and it was easier than being in them. Because I was just a guy hitting on you at a party, not your best friend.”

“It’s easier to talk to me as a random stranger than as your best friend?” Wally was still shouting. His fist was still on the fridge.

“It’s a hell of a lot easier to tell you that I like you, yeah!” Dick yelled back. It was easy to yell. It was easy to be mad at Wally even though it was all his fault. If he wasn’t mad, he would break down.

Anger was written on every part of Wally’s face as he glared at Dick.

"Take off the mask,” he said, suddenly. He was so confident that Dick almost did it by instinct.

Almost.

“What?” it had thrown him off. He had been expecting a right hook, the way Wally was looking at him.

“Take off the mask, Dick,” Wally repeated, his voice steady for the first time in five minutes. The anger had subsided, slightly. There was something else on his face now. Fear? Hurt?

If taking off the mask helped, then so be it. Dick closed his eyes, his fingers fumbling on the knots at the back of his domino. His fingers were shaking and the knots were too tight, but Wally was patient. He waited until the mask fell to the ground, fluttering slightly. It lay on the tiled kitchen like a skinny, black snake.

Dick let himself take his time to look back up at Wally. He needed to work his way up to those bright green eyes. Cat’s eyes. Scared – he was sure that he looked scared. He was sure that Wally would be able to see his heart beating in his mouth. He couldn’t swallow it back down.

Wally was staring – of course he was. He was tracing Dick’s features with his eyes, matching them up to the boy he saw last night. Making sure that that was still Nightwing’s jaw and mouth and eyes on Dick Grayson’s face. What was going through his head? Was he relieved – just a little bit? Or was he deciding to separate the two back into each other and never mention this again?

He stepped forward, his feet either side of Dick’s, still staring at him. Staring at him like he was a mythical creature who had just wandered into the living room. Like he was a puzzle Wally was still trying to figure out.

Dick stayed still – very still, as Wally’s hands approached his face. He could only watch and try to breathe as Wally pushed his hair back. Pushed the stray dark hairs into the hairstyle he was wearing last night. His hands felt the same – of course they did – but Dick wasn’t expecting to be teleported back to that cupboard, reliving Wally pressed against him in the dark.

“My favourite pancake topping is chocolate ice cream,” Wally murmured. His eyes flickered between Dick’s, waiting for a reaction.

“I know,” Dick whispered. His hands were hovering over Wally’s waist – like he was something hot that he couldn’t touch without being burned.

“You knew. All night,” Wally’s voice was still a hoarse whisper.

Dick swallowed. This was the inevitable.

“...yeah,” he said.

“I should really hate you,” Wally’s fingers slipped on Dick’s hair. Stray strands fell back over his eyes, like the image was breaking up. “I should _really_ hate you for this.”

“I know.”

“Why don’t I hate you?” Wally’s forehead bumped against Dick’s – hard enough to make him wince, but not hard enough for him to pull away. His eyes were just a sea of green in Dick’s vision. He let himself be lost in them.

“I’m so, so sorry, Wally,” it was the only thing that was going through Dick’s head.

“You should be. But, you don’t need to be,” Wally’s hands dropped suddenly. He gave a shaky laugh, his forehead bumping against Dick’s. “This can’t be real – it’s ridiculous! This is something from a cartoon or a kid’s show – the guy I like is – of course, he’s the guy who flirted with me at a boring party. Things shouldn’t work out this cleanly.”

Dick stayed silent. He was still waiting. He didn’t know what he was waiting for.

Wally’s head dropped, falling to Dick’s shoulder. He tentatively put his arms around him, like he was scared Dick was going to disappear in a puff of smoke.

“Are you okay?” Dick asked. “I mean – are we, is this all okay?”

“I don’t know. I guess – it’s,” Wally sighed. “Hypothetically. Once I get my head around it.”

Dick could live with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): I felt like the ending was too abrupt, but I also wanted it to be? I'm not sure..  
> But there was the second and final part! It feels like months ago that I posted the first chapter...this was a /long/ week.  
> I'm tempted to come back but I don't have ideas on where to take it and I've already got two other fics on the go, that I think I'd collapse under the work.  
> But gay Barbara Gordon could make a comeback...
> 
> My Webcomic: www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/in-his-shadow/list?title_no=226226 (Webtoons)  
> tapas.io/series/In-His-Shadow (Tapastic)  
> My Instagram: turntups  
> My tumblr: turnupsdrawssometimes.tumblr.com / steamcogsandwebcomics.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N): I finished this whilst watching the final of I'm A Celebrity but I know it needed proofing and I only just got the motivation to to do it now. So here it is - because secret identities and flirting and!! Inevitable angst!  
> This is actually a two-parter - I wrote it as one but it's like 10k so I thought I'd split it.  
> So I'll post the second part next Saturday!  
> Please tell me what you think and thanks in advance for kudos, comments, etc etc.


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